Family Drama Tackling Issues of Mental Health,
and Cultural and Generational Differences

Artists at Play presents Los Angeles premiere of
99 Histories
Written by Julia Cho
Directed by Leslie Ishii
 
September 13 - 28, 2014
Tickets: $15-$35

The Lounge Theater 2
6201 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038

LOS ANGELES, CA ‹ Artists at Play presents the Los Angeles premiere of 99 Histories, a poignant drama exploring the themes of family, generational and cultural differences, and history through the relationship between a Korean immigrant mother and her American-born daughter. Opening September 13, 2014, the play is written by Julia Cho, and directed by Leslie Ishii.

Written in 2002, 99 Histories is the first major play from acclaimed playwright Julia Cho. Developed with the assistance of the Sundance Institute Theatre Laboratory, South Coast Repertory and Center Theatre Group, 99 Histories had its world premiere at Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis) in 2004.

Set in "a suburb of Los Angeles," Artists at Play is honored to bring this play home 10 years after its premiere. 99 Histories is a powerful story about the familial bonds between mothers and daughters, generation to generation. Korean American Eunice, a former cello prodigy, comes home pregnant and unmarried, trying to mend the relationship with her estranged mother. Haunted by violent memories and previous battles with mental illness, Eunice must confront her ghosts before she can move forward in life. In this riveting story of memory, legacy and home, what is remembered might be made up and the only homelands that seem to exist are imaginary.

Playwright Julia Cho's extensive repertoire includes the plays BFE, Durango and The Language Archive. As a screenwriter, she has written for television series such as Big Love, Fringe and Betrayal. Director Leslie Ishii is an actor, director and educator who has directed for East West Players and Center Theatre Group's pilot educational program Front and Center. Ishii has also assistant directed under Christopher Liam Moore for two seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) as a FAIR participant.

Coincidentally, 99 Histories will star another Julia Cho, the actor and co-founder of Artists at Play, whose credits include Scandal and Emmy Award-winning web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. The cast also includes Sharon Omi (Shameless, Big Bang Theory, Uncle Vanya at A.C.T., Romeo and Juliet at the Ahmanson Theatre), Janice Pak (CalArts), Jolene Kim (Grey's Anatomy, Stupid Fucking Bird at Theatre @ Boston Court), David Huynh (Mysterious Skin at East West Players, Year Zero at Colony Theatre), and Brendan Bradley (NCIS, Wizards of Waverly Place, Goonies the Musical off-Broadway). Understudies for 99 Histories include Desiree Mee Jung, Diana Tanaka, Kimiko Ann, Jane Lui, Junot Lee, and Matthew Mancuso.

The creative team consists of Scenic and Property design team Art Betanzos and Sasha Monge, Costume Designer Rachel Nakawatase, Lighting Designer Lonnie Alcaraz, Sound Designer Steve Garbade, Stage Manager Brandon Cheng, and Assistant Stage Manager Sadie McCoy.

About Artists at Play

Founded in 2011 by Cho (the actor), Peter J. Kuo, Stefanie Wong Lau and Marie-Reine Velez, Artists at Play is a collective of Asian American creative professionals who have come together to curate quality theatre in Los Angeles. In 2013, Nicholas Pilapil joined the Artists at Play team as an Associate Producer. They present theatrical productions missing from Los Angeles' local landscape to tell the stories of communities underrepresented in theatre. Their inaugural production was the Los Angeles premiere of Lauren Yee's Ching Chong Chinaman, which was a box office hit and a Backstage Critic's Choice. Their 2012 production, A. Rey Pamatmat's Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, received critical acclaim including an Ovation Recommendation and GLAAD Media Award nomination. Last year, they scored another commercial success with Michael Golamco's Cowboy Versus Samurai.